What are angels? Many think these enigmatic, winged messengers from the heavenly firmament have, for thousands of years, been the protectors and envoys of spiritual belief—but where did they originate, and have they always held such a beneficent role? This book not only traces the history of angels and their counterparts, the demons, from their earliest roots to their modern day renaissance, it also reveals their most surprising secrets, evidenced through personal stories, literature, myth, religion, and art.